Brooke Street Pier

The uniqueness of Brooke St Pier’s architecture cannot be underestimated. The building is designed to rise and fall with the tide, in essence a giant floating barge that permanently resides at Franklin Wharf on Hobart’s waterfront. Incorporating the MONA Ferry terminal, shops, restaurants and cafés, one of the ingenious concepts of the design can be seen in the material used for the upper shell of the structure. Made from a translucent skin, the material is very low weight, ensuring the buildings ability to float, whilst allowing for daylight penetration, creating a passively heated indoor environment.

It was this shell that provided the inspiration for lighting designers Point of View Melbourne. Klik Systems Ledstream Focus runs along the full length of the building, washing along the translucent surfaces from the inside. This creates a wonderful external image of the building that is often magnified two fold in the mirrored surface of the Derwent River on a still night. The effect also delivers useable light back into the interior space which is further supplemented by long, continuous runs of Klik Systems 65Beam. These continuous lit elements provide a strong visual connection that helps reinforce the strong architectural lines of the building.

Another unique element is the forecourt area, which connects the building to the wharf via a double hinged bridge. Being an external area right on the waterfront, key criteria like corrosion resistance, vandal resistance and glare control had to be at the forefront in the decision making of any lighting solution. For this space Klik Systems Ledpod was incorporated into the handrail and was supplemented with the distinctive architectural presence of Simes Skill wall lights. The results are a warm inviting glow across the timber forecourt that provides for safe movement without detracting from the overall impression of the architecture.